We’ve received the following updates from Peter Minjale:
- The famine is worsening. He wants another $12,000 USD to fight it. He is working on a Lions International grant proposal to get funding beyond that. We are currently feeding close to 15,000 people right now.
- The cholera epidemic is worsening. There have now been over 750 deaths and over 13,000 cases nationwide (530,000 cases projected). Kasungu District, including the city, has been spared due to our ongoing chlorination efforts since August. Peter says the District had no cases till this week when 1 person became ill.
- The government of Malawi is very interested in our IT education project and is sending teachers to our area to help bolster our efforts.
- The government of Malawi and World Bank approached Peter with a grant proposal to help our dairy project go to the next level with enough money to, among other things, purchase about 230 more heifers.
- The premiere agricultural research facility in Malawi has expressed interest in our lavender initiative, hoping to bring it to other parts of the country if we are successful. So far about 50% of our seeds have germinated (which is awesome because no seeds germinated here when we planted them).
- So far the rains have been good.
- Reforestation, bamboo, hydroponic project, chicken pass on, microcredit bank, land lease and cows and ploughs projects are all going well.